Northwood 1 North Greenford 3
Tuesday 10th December 2024
| NORTHWOOD | |||
 |
|||
| 1 | Hafad Al Droubi | ||
| 2 | Harry McKenna | ||
| 3 | Kelechi Etienne (27m) | ||
| 4 | Manny Folarin | ||
| 5 | Jeremy Stewart (46m) | ||
| 6 | Stefan Powell (46m) | ||
| 7 | Cassius Joseph (75m) | ||
| 8 | Troy Perez-Duah | ||
| 9 | Alex Cathline (65m) | ||
| 10 | Nnaemeka Anyanwu | ||
| 11 | Aaron Benn | ||
| Substitutes | |||
| 12 | Chris Ozougwu (46m) | ||
| 14 | George Brough (27m) | ||
| 15 | Jack Smith (46m) | ||
| 16 | Tyrone Shiham (75m) | ||
| 17 | Samuel Folarin (65m) | ||
The Woods' cup interest for the season came to an end in this midweek Charity Cup tie against Step 5 play-off challengers North Greenford United who cruised to victory to earn a place in the semi-finals.
Gary Meakin made a series of changes to the starting line-up with Balu Makumbi and Jack Timberlake called up by Slough Town for their Berks & Bucks Senior Cup fixture while Jack Empson was suspended and Junior Paiva unavailable. In a competition where players don’t 
have to be actually registered, there were two triallists on the bench in George Brough and Tyrone Shiham.
The Blues, enjoying another good campaign, following their FA Vase exploits last season, have already reached the quarter-finals of the Senior Cup with an excellent win at Hanworth Villa, would have been confident of a good display at the Skyline Roofing Stadium but they got off to a poor start when they lost possession at the back and Alex Cathline ran through to finish coolly and put the Woods in front with just seven minutes on the clock.
The visitors did take time to settle on what was a heavy pitch that cut up during the game and on 15 minutes Kelechi Etienne got forward well from the left to drive a shot across goal but it flashed just wide of the far post.
A minute later, North Greenford were level as a good through ball put the ever-dangerous Harvey Killeen in on goal. He took it past Hafed Al Droubi but although that allowed Jeremy Stewart to get a block tackle in on his goalbound shot, the ball rebounded back off the Blues attacker and straight into the empty net.
There was a blow after 27 minutes when Etienne took a knock to the head on a challenge and was too groggy to continue so was replaced by newcomer Brough, who slotted into the left-back position.
But the visitors had found their feet now and gradually looked more threatening than the Woods as the half progressed. After 32 minutes, Ryan Ewhare worked some space by cutting in from the right and let fly with a shot which was straight at Al Droubi who claimed it comfortably.
After 40 minutes, the game swung towards the Blues as former Woods defender Rahim Jude-Boyd did well to battle into the box and was then clearly pushed in the back by Stewart with a penalty the inevitable decision. Archie Morris made no mistake from the spot-kick and North Greenford had the half-time lead.
There were two further changes made at half-time as the Woods looked to get back in the game. Jack Smith replaced Stefan Powell in the centre of midfield while Chris Ozougwu came in for Stewart in the defence.
Three minutes into the half saw Troy Perez-Duah find space for a shot from just outside the box but it was always going wide and the Woods still struggled to make much impact against a well-organised Blues defence.
There was already an hour on the clock when Ewhare went close again with a shot that was only just over the top and Northwood then swapped goalscorer Cathline with Samuel Folarin. A minute later the new substitute could have made an immediate impact as Nnaemeka Anyanwu put over a good cross from the left but goalkeeper Ryan Lehane just managed to cut it our before Folarin could pounce.
Both sides were tiring in the heavy conditions and Shiham came on for the unusually ineffective Cassius Joseph on 75 minutes but the Woods couldn’t find a way back into the contest and the visitors secured their place in the last four with a good shot on the turn from Remel Larwood after 86 minutes that crept inside the post to make it 3-1.
Ironically, that produced a late rally from Northwood with Aaron Benn breaking round the back of the North Greenford defence but seeing Lehane deny him by making a fine save and the Blues keeper saved again in stoppage-time, this time from skipper Perez-Duah.
REPORT by Alan Evans
